I completely stopped giving Mickey D’s my business about two years ago when I read an article in the Atlantic Monthly entitled Why McDonald’s Fries Taste So Good. Although they are fried in canola oil, the fries themselves contain “natural flavorings” as one of their ingredients.

“The company will not reveal the exact origin of the natural flavor added to its fries. In response to inquiries from Vegetarian Journal, however, McDonald’s did acknowledge that its fries derive some of their characteristic flavor from ‘an animal source.’ Beef is the probable source, although other meats cannot be ruled out. In France, for example, fries are sometimes cooked in duck fat or horse tallow.”

Maybe if McDonald’s came clean with the vegetarian community and dropped animal additives from their food, they’d find themselves with a growing market opportunity. Burger King introduced a Veggie Burger this year, and their fries have always been 100% veggie-friendly.

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I stopped eating there a few years ago after reading “Fast Food Nation” and “Diet for a New America” and the “The Food Revolution.” In fact, I cut way back on my meat intake and began eating eggs only from humanely treated chickens.

I was a vegetarian for about 1.5 years (maybe 4 years ago) but partially reverted after getting sick of eating the same foods and not having the time to experiment with new stuff. (I’m also lactose intolerant so I avoid all dairy. That limited things quite a bit as well.)